Chapter Nineteen

You’ve Nothing to Be Sorry About

RILEY

One moment Riley was passionately kissing Mila on his bed, and the next, he was being flung off her with preternatural force.

He landed on the opposite side of the mattress, momentarily confused, and then looked up at Mila, who had already hopped off the bed and was pacing his bedroom, visibly shaken.

He was a complete and total troll.

Riley sat on the side of the bed closer to her and did the only logical thing, apologize for his unforgivable behavior. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought you wanted this too, but I obviously got carried away.”

Mila’s reaction was once again not what he’d expected. She crossed the room in two quick steps, planted a hand over his mouth, and eyes blazing, she told him, “You have nothing to apologize for. I’m the one to blame here.”

Riley raised an eyebrow, and since she was still blocking his mouth, he sent her his rebuff mind to mind. “I’m pretty sure I was part of that, too.”

Mila’s eyebrows drooped, and she looked like she was on the verge of tears. “Only because you had no choice.”

Next, she ran back down the hall just as unexpectedly and returned to the bedroom, carrying the black beanie she’d removed earlier.

She secured the hat back on his head, saying, “Sorry, but I don’t think I can handle hearing your reaction to what I’m about to tell you.”

Okay, now he was seriously freaked out. But he let her have a minute to straighten her thoughts, since she was clearly upset.

“It’s the love potion,” Mila finally blurted. “Last night, I ate the cupcake, went to take a bath, and when I woke up, I was in your arms.”

Riley frowned, still unsure of what she was getting at.

“Don’t you get it? You’re the first man I saw. This weird attraction that you don’t seem to be able to fight, despite wanting to… you can’t because of the love potion. I heard your thoughts yesterday. You literally like me against your will. You don’t really find me attractive. You don’t want to kiss me or do other…” She blushed. “ Stuff … The enchantment of the love potion is forcing you to.”

Oh, Mila, she really knew nothing. Riley had felt the magic between them, too, but it had nothing to do with her love potion. And he was pretty sure he wanted to kiss her and do other stuff to her, with her. Many unholy things. But that didn’t mean he should.

Riley forced the untruth of what she was saying in a corner so dark and remote of his soul that even he wouldn’t be able to reach it anymore.

Kissing her had changed everything. He had a strong suspicion now on why they shared a mental bond without needing to consult his mother’s spell book. A kiss like that—yeah, it was enough to know.

But dating a cop was no life. He’d seen the years of worry tear down at his mother until that faithful night when all her worst fears had come true. Glenda had never recovered from the loss of his father, who had been the previous Chief Inquisitor. And Riley wouldn’t want to bestow such a fate on anyone, least of all gentle, funny, sparkly Mila Bennet.

So he went along with what she was saying. “Can you make more antidote?”

“Too late,” she responded as he knew she would. “The magic has settled in.”

He watched her pace his bedroom, expression riddled with guilt, and felt like a total dirtbag for keeping her in the dark. But it was the best thing to do, especially for her.

She stopped and turned to him. “I’m so sorry this happened. I wish I’d never made that potion. No, I mean, it’s good that I did. Otherwise, Mrs. Blackwell would be dead. But I’m sorry for what”—she circled a hand in his general direction—“it’s doing to you. I’m so sorry for that.”

Riley couldn’t take her misplaced guilt anymore so, even if probably it wasn’t the best move, he stood up and pulled her into his arms. “You’ve nothing to be sorry about. I shouldn’t have kissed you. It won’t happen again.”